Current:Home > FinanceMan pleads guilty to charges related to 'General Hospital' actor Johnny Wactor's killing -GrowthSphere Strategies
Man pleads guilty to charges related to 'General Hospital' actor Johnny Wactor's killing
SignalHub Quantitative Think Tank Center View
Date:2025-04-10 12:24:23
One of the four people charged in connection to the death of "General Hospital" actor Johnny Wactor has entered a guilty plea in the case.
Leonel Gutierrez, 18, on Wednesday pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and grand theft, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced Thursday. Gutierrez, who is free on $120,000 bond, is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 1.
According to the Los Angeles Times and CBS News, Gutierrez faces up to four years and eight months in prison with his current charges.
Wactor, who was best known for his role as Brando Corbin on "General Hospital," died from a gunshot wound to the chest in downtown Los Angeles on May 25. He was 37.
The cases against alleged conspirators Robert Barceleau, 18; Sergio Estrada, 18 and Frank Olano, 22, are pending. They have all pleaded not guilty to felony charges and are scheduled for a preliminary hearing setting on Oct. 16.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
The four men were arrested on Aug. 14. Barceleau – who allegedly shot Wactor in the chest, per investigators – and Estrada were each charged with one count of murder, one count of attempted robbery and one count of grand theft.
Olano was charged with one count of accessory after the fact to murder, one count of receiving stolen property and three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
If convicted under the current charges, Barceleau faces life in prison without parole. Estrada faces a maximum of life in prison. Gutierrez faces four years, eight months in prison, and Olano faces five years, eight months in prison.
Johnny Wactor's mom: 'Grief is my constant companion'
Wactor was shot around 3 a.m. May 25 during an attempted catalytic converter theft in the 1200 block of Hope Street, per LAPD's May 28 news release. Officers "began to render aid" to Wactor, who was later transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
"Based on witness statements, Wactor had ended his shift as a bartender at a local bar and walked to his vehicle. When Wactor arrived at his vehicle, he was confronted by three individuals who had Wactor's vehicle raised up with a floor jack and were in the process of stealing the catalytic converter," LAPD reported. "Without provocation, the victim was shot by one of the individuals."
During a news conference in downtown Los Angeles last month, Wactor's mother, Scarlett Wactor, said “Grief is my constant companion,” according to The Associated Press.
"I can’t wish him happy birthday on Aug. 31 — he would have been 38," she continued. "I can’t ask if he’s coming home for Christmas. I can’t ask how his day went.”
veryGood! (17169)
Related
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- Air Force grounds entire Osprey fleet after deadly crash in Japan
- Cantaloupe recall: Salmonella outbreak leaves 8 dead, hundreds sickened in US and Canada
- Ex Black Panther who maintained innocence in bombing that killed an officer died in Nebraska prison
- Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
- Woman arrested after trying to pour gasoline on Martin Luther King's birth home, police say
- Fox snatcher: Footage shows furry intruder swiped cameras from Arizona backyard
- Indonesia suspects human trafficking is behind the increasing number of Rohingya refugees
- Working Well: When holidays present rude customers, taking breaks and the high road preserve peace
- Stock analysts who got it wrong last year predict a soft landing in 2024
Ranking
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- An extremely rare white leucistic alligator is born at a Florida reptile park
- Republican Adam Kinzinger says he's politically homeless, and if Trump is the nominee, he'll vote for Biden — The Takeout
- UN takes no immediate action at emergency meeting on Guyana-Venezuela dispute over oil-rich region
- The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
- California Gov. Gavin Newsom advances water tunnel project amid opposition from environmental groups
- Some eye colors are more common than others. Which one is the rarest?
- Texas shooting suspect Shane James tried to escape from jail after arrest, official says
Recommendation
Trump issues order to ban transgender troops from serving openly in the military
Russia puts prominent Russian-US journalist Masha Gessen on wanted list for criminal charges
Israeli military says it's surrounded the home of architect of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack
Some eye colors are more common than others. Which one is the rarest?
Questlove charts 50 years of SNL musical hits (and misses)
Hong Kong’s new election law thins the candidate pool, giving voters little option in Sunday’s polls
NBA getting what it wants from In-Season Tournament, including LeBron James in the final
Olivia Rodrigo Reveals How She Got Caught “Stalking” Her Ex on Instagram